Relational Approaches to

Career Development
Applying Career Development to Counseling 6th: Chapter
12
https://play.kahoot.it/#/?quizId=fdab4aaa-1a4f-43dd-8807-7b0c327fc963
 Roe’s Personality Development
Theory
Anne Roe developed a theory to predict occupational
selection based on individual differences (biological,
sociological, and psychological).

Focus: Predicted occupational selection based on

psychological needs that developed from child and
parent interactions.

She developed an occupational classification system

that dealt with parental attitude toward or away from
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
 Roe’s Personality Development
Theory
● Concentration on the child.
○ Overprotective or overly demanding.

● Avoidance of the child.

○ Rejection and neglect.

● Acceptance of the child.

○ Tension free environment.
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
 Attachment Theory
● Attachment theory grew out of object relations
theory, i.e., emphasizes the relationship the infant
has with others and mom.
● Bowlby is the most well known attachment theorist.
He was interested in how an individual’s sense of
worth develops with their views of others.
● Attachment figures, mom and dad.
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
 Attachment Theory
● Secure pattern: infant responds
to caregiver easily, relationship
is secure.
● Anxious-ambivalent pattern:
Children who have a secure
pattern of attachment in their first
6 years of life are more willing to
explore the world around them
and the world of work.

caregiver is inconsistent, child

views the world with anxiety
and there is a reduction in
exploratory behavior.

● Avoidant behavior: infant

ignores
Sharf, careApplying
R.S. (2016). offeredcareerby an
development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Attachment Theorist
Mary Ainsworth.
Student of world
renowned attachment
theorist Bowlby.
Mary designed the
Strange Situation Test to
observe early emotional
attachment between a
child and their
Spotlight Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://faculty.webseter.edu/woolflm/ainsworth.html
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

caregiver.
Attachment Theory
Strange situations

Ainsworth, M. [YouTube]. (2009, January 17). The Strange Situation [https://youtu.be/qtsewnrhuhu]. Retrieved
from https://youtu.be/QTsewNrHUHU
Suggestions for Career Counselors
● Help figure out client’s attachment style and look at
how it has affected client’s life.
● Avoid value statements.

● Use reflecting statements.

● Use decision-making assessments because it

encourages confidence in self-efficacy and a sense
of mastery.
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Attachment Therapy Therapeutic Process
● Identify client’s ineffective coping strategies.

● Learn why client’s emotionally react to certain situations.

● Determine relationship patterns that may or may not reveal

dysfunction at work.

● Explore past relationships with caregivers and learn how the

experiences teach to deal with distress.

● Help clients find new strategies to fulfill their basic needs-

autonomy, connection and competency.
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
 Family Systems Therapy
● Although few family and marriage counselors
directly look at career counseling, it truly is
intertwined with all other family relationships.
● Shellenberger described a genogram as “a way to
determine therapeutic options for a family or
couple” (p. 333).
● Genograms encourage client self-disclosure,
organize information about family attitudes toward
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont,
work, and reveal work patterns.
CA: Brooks/Cole.
 Let’s Make an Occupational
Genogram!
An Occupational Transmission genogram includes:

1. A set of questions about relationships involving

careers and jobs.
2. A set of questions about gender and race.

Any Volunteers?
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
 Parent-Child Career Interactions
Richard Young
● Focused on the influence of
parents and the
development of children’s
careers.
● Action Project Method -
Studies conversations
between parents and
children by videotaping the
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
interactions.
Brooks/Cole.
 Parent-Child Career Interactions
“Decision-making at a
young age!”
Contextual Action Theory
The understanding of
oneself through
interaction with others as
they form
understandings of
themselves through their
relationship with us. https://youtu.be/o9cPMmtdVLA
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Pryor, S. [YouTube]. (2019, July 19). Meet the babbling baby and dad behind that adorable viral video . Retrieved from
https://youtu.be/o9cPMmtdVLA
Phillip’s Developmental Relational Model
● Focus on Two Major Themes
relationships 1. Actions of Others or ways
that include people involve themselves in
friends, career decision-making of others.
siblings,
2. Self-Directedness or ways an
teachers, individual may participate in
peers, and finding other people to help in
others. career decision-making.
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Actions of Others Actions of others are on a continuum
from low involvement to high
● Nonactive Support - involvement.
generally not involved in ● Alternative Provided -
with decision maker’s
individuals provide career-
choice process
related opportunities, like
● Unconditional Support info on a possible job
- generally actively
supportive/in agreeance ● Push/Nudge - individual
of decision maker tries to guide the person
making the decision to
● Information Provided -
person provides make a particular choice
information
Sharf, to individual
R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Actions of Others
Actions of Others are on a
continuum from low involvement to
high involvement.
● Forced Guidance -
individuals are telling others
what they think would be
best for them

● Criticism - criticizes the

decision maker’s process,
abilities, interests, values or
goals

Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
Self-Directedness Self-Directedness focuses
● Confident Independent on the way people make
(False Confidence) - good use of other people
appear to be confident but during the career decision
do not really know what process.
they plan to do in the ● Seeking Information
future. about Self - individuals are
● Unsuccessful unsure about their interests,
abilities, values and actively
Recruitment - individuals
seek out others for
have searched for help, but
perspective.
have been unsuccessful in
helping themApplying
Sharf, R.S. (2016). make career
career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
 ● Weighing Options -
Self-Directedness individuals find it useful to
ask others to help with one
● Insecure Use of Others - or more parts of the
individuals seek out advice decision-making process
but tend to be unsure of
● Sounding Board -
their own ability to make
individuals talk out their
decisions point of view with others but
● Cautious - individuals are do not expect them to help
make any decision
careful not to make
mistakes when they are ● Systematic - individuals
making decisions, while consider the input of others
considering the views of but they take responsibility
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling,
for making 6th ed. Belmont,
their CA:
decision
others
Brooks/Cole.
Bluestein’s Relational Theory of
Working
David Bluestein
● Proposed a relational theory of working.
● Almost all work involves the interaction among and between
people.
● Bluestein shows why relating to others is such an important part
of working.
● If one has a job that one does not like or value, having close
relationships or contact with others can add meaning to work.
❖ Would anyone like to describe how a relationship with a co-
worker was helpful to you?
● Highlights the importan.e of relating to others while making
Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
career decisions
Brooks/Cole.
 Applying the Theories to
Women &
● Culturally
Lack of sufficient Diverse
information to address differences in
gender amongst cultural groups
●
Populations
Compared to other theories in the book, there is a limited
amount of research on relational approaches described in
this chapter to career development.
● Diversity issues are likely to be addressed in the future.

Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Brooks/Cole.
 Summing it all up -
Assessment!!!

● Kahoot Review

https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/87a7b1f1-8d00-40e0-a00b-
7f38c2138f76

Source of information: Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed.
Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
 Wrap up!!!

● Any final questions?

● Share any last thoughts?
● Thank you & enjoy some candy!
 References
Ainsworth, M. [YouTube]. (2009, January 17). The Strange Situation [https://youtu.be/qtsewnrhuhu].

Retrieved from https://youtu.be/QTsewNrHUHU

Pryor, S. [YouTube]. (2019, July 19). Meet the babbling baby and dad behind that adorable viral video .

Retrieved from https://youtu.be/o9cPMmtdVLA

Sharf, R.S. (2016). Applying career development theory to counseling, 6th ed. Belmont, CA:

Brooks/Cole.

Spotlight Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://faculty.webseter.edu/woolflm/ainsworth.html